Incoming Graduate Student Onboarding
CMU New Graduate Student Onboarding
To assist you with your transition to graduate school, visit the university’s Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs webpage for incoming students for a list of deadlines for new incoming students.
Additionally, Carnegie Mellon’s Enrollment Services (The HUB) webpage for new incoming graduate students will help you get started with preparing for your arrival for the academic year. Reference the university’s New Graduate Student Onboarding Checklist for important information regarding required and recommended tasks to complete in the summer before you start your Carnegie Mellon University experience.
Carnegie Mellon does not provide campus housing for graduate students. To help you navigate moving to Pittsburgh, visit the Student Affairs Housing & Residential Education Off-Campus Housing webpage. The university’s Off-Campus Housing Marketplace can assist you with finding rental options.
It is recommended that graduate students arrive in Pittsburgh no later than August 12, 2024. We look forward to working with you!
CMU New Graduate Student Onboarding Checklist (PDF)
New Incoming Graduate Students FAQs
School of Architecture Incoming Graduate Student Onboarding
Once the initial enrollment process is complete, new incoming students will need to prepare to begin their graduate program and start the academic year. Please review the following information on this webpage for onboarding tasks that you will need to complete. Please reference our New Graduate Student Initial Enrollment webpage if you have any remaining questions about the initial enrollment process.
Incoming graduate student timeline
early June: Complete DSW Survey (all students)
Summer 2024 (to be announced): Digital Skills Workshop online course
July 1: Fall semester Tuition & Fees billed to Student Account
July 15: Official Transcript(s) DUE
mid-July: New graduate students registered for required courses by Graduate Program Advisor
early-Aug.: Register for New Graduate Student Orientation
Aug. 12: Recommended campus arrival date
Aug. 15: Fall semester invoice balance DUE
Aug. 12-16: International Student Orientation
Aug. 12-16: University New Graduate Student Orientation
Aug. 20-22: Architecture Graduate Program Orientation Days
Aug. 26: Fall 2024 semester begins
Design Skills Workshop
Complete Survey: early-June
Summer 2024- TBA (6 weeks, web-based via Zoom)
Design Skills Workshop (DSW) is a 3-unit mini summer course (#48-689) for incoming Architecture master’s students to establish a baseline of digital design skills appropriate to the expectations of the design culture at the School of Architecture. All incoming Graduate Program students must complete the DSW Survey using their active Andrew ID. As indicated in the admission letter, incoming students to the MAAD, M.Arch, MUD, MSSD, and MSBPD programs are required to complete DSW the summer prior to the start of their program. DSW is optional for incoming students to the MSAECM and MSCD programs.
DSW is an online-only series of micro workshops, assignments, and tutorials on digital design skills. Organized around short design exercises, students will demonstrate the fundamentals of 2D graphics (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), architectural drafting (Rhino), 3D modeling (Rhino), and parametric modeling (Grasshopper). The course will cover specific tools and workflows to equip students with the foundational skills for solving design problems through the use of computational tools. All students are expected to be familiar with the protocols and workflows covered in DSW.
The fully remote course will run from the end of June to early August with an anticipated time commitment of 5 hours/week. The full extent of the course must be completed in order to receive a passing grade for the course that will appear on the fall semester transcript and is included in the cost of your full-time fall tuition.
Computing & Technology
2024 Specifications to be announced in June
2023 Specifications:
Students are provided access to many computer labs on campus with necessary software for coursework, but students are not guaranteed computer access. Architecture facilities include a woodshop and digital fabrication lab (dFab).
Graduate students are required to have their own laptop computers that are compatible and sufficiently powerful for coursework in the School of Architecture. When purchasing your computer, it is required that you meet or exceed our specifications or you will be unable to complete computing-related tasks.
The following laptop specifications have been provided for the 2023-24 academic year:
CPU: Intel latest 13th generation i7 or i9, AMD Ryzen 7 or 9
Memory: 16GB minimum, 32GB recommended
SSD: 1TB+ recommended
Monitor: 15 inch minimum recommended
GPU: RTX 4060 minimum, 4070+ recommended
Operating System: Windows 10 or 11
Note: PC with Windows is required. Apple Windows support is not currently adequate.*
Warranty: Recommended 3 year warranty with accidental damage coverage
*If you join an Architecture program with a Mac or a system below our recommendations, you may find your system is holding you back. In the worst case scenario, you may find yourself unable to complete coursework.
Please visit the Computing Services website to explore the computing resources available to you as a Carnegie Mellon student. Reference the School of Architecture Computing webpage for department-specific information and resources. If you have any questions about these recommendations or laptop purchasing, please contact Architecture Tech support at: soa-ithelp@andrew.cmu.edu.
Official Transcript(s) Submission
Due: July 15
As part of the terms of enrollment in the Graduate Program, incoming students are required to provide an official copy of a transcript for each degree earned. Transcripts for all partial and completed degree programs must be translated into English and submitted by July 15 to be able to enroll in Fall semester courses.
Transcripts must be FINAL, meaning that the degree earned and the date of degree conferral (graduation date) must be printed on the transcript. For completed degree programs, you must ensure that the date of conferral is listed on your transcript. If your official transcript does not show a degree conferral date, then you must send to our graduate admission office a certified, true copy of the diploma or certificate of degree completion showing the date the degree was conferred. Transcripts must be certified and come directly from the issuing authority.
Transcripts from Institutions Within the US
The transcript(s) must be sent directly from your institution to the School of Architecture by July 15. We prefer electronic delivery of transcripts (e-transcripts) from the registrar of your institution provided through a secure electronic exchange that guarantees authenticity; PDF attachments in an email will not be accepted. We cannot accept transcripts issued to you, and any copies you have in your possession (even if they are signed and sealed) cannot be used. Send e-transcripts to the school’s Director of Recruitment & Enrollment at: amccune@andrew.cmu.edu.
If your institution does not offer this service, then official transcripts can be mailed via the U.S. Postal Service enclosed in a sealed, unopened envelope, signed across the seal by the registrar's office, and mailed to the following address:
Carnegie Mellon University
School of Architecture
Attn: Graduate Admission & Enrollment
4919 Frew Street
CFA Bldg., Room 201
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Transcripts from Institutions Outside the US
The transcript(s) must be sent directly from the issuing authority to the School of Architecture by July 15. If you have completed degrees from institutions located outside of the United States (except Canada), you are required to provide all official transcripts translated into English.
Transcripts must be FINAL, meaning that the degree earned and the date of degree conferral (graduation date) must be printed on the transcript. If your official transcript does not show a degree conferral date, then you must send to our graduate admission office a certified, true copy of the diploma or certificate of degree completion showing the date the degree was conferred.
Transcripts must be certified and come directly from the issuing authority. We also accept the World Education Services (WES) evaluation of your transcript. Official transcripts must be mailed to the following address:
Carnegie Mellon University
School of Architecture
Attn: Graduate Admission & Enrollment
4919 Frew Street CFA Bldg., Room 201
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
U.S.A.
Please contact the Director of Recruitment of Enrollment to let us know when your transcript was sent, what courier service was utilized, and any tracking information that would be helpful for us to be able to know when to expect your transcript documents. Transcripts must be sent to the aforementioned address and received by July 15 to be processed prior to your campus arrival.
Log into Student Account on SIO
CMU’s Student Information Online (SIO) is your personal student account containing information on Finances, Grades, Course Registration, Student Health Insurance, and much more. This page also includes important university announcements, updates, and information for students.
Personal Information
Update contact information in SIO to change or confirm addresses, manage identity data options, and assign person(s) as emergency contact(s) prior to the beginning of the semester.
Health Insurance
Open Enrollment: July 1 - August 25, 2024
University policy requires all full-time students who are physically located within the U.S. must have medical insurance that meets the university’s requirements. For more information, visit the University Health Services webpage about student medical insurance.
Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP) Open Enrollment begins on July 5 for student health, dental, and vision insurance (SHIP) for incoming students. Eligible participants have a specific enrollment period once each academic year (called "open enrollment") for their medical enrollment or waiver processing. Open Enrollment for returning students and new fall students: July 1 - August 25, 2024.
Student Account Billing Invoice
Due: August 15
Fall semester tuition and fees will appear in your student financial account invoice on July 1. Payment for all semester invoice balances are due on August 15.
Graduate students who are receiving School of Architecture merit-based scholarships will see their scholarship disbursed to their student accounts for the fall and spring semesters, respectively.
Financial Aid
Complete: ASAP (if applicable)
To apply for federal financial aid* for the upcoming academic year, visit the Student Financial Services webpage for information about the graduate financial aid process.
*Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for federal financial aid programs.
New Graduate Student Registration
Course Registration
Begins in mid-July continuing until Aug. 26
Fall semester registration for new incoming graduate students will begin in mid-July. The Graduate Program Advisor will register incoming graduate students for all required courses. Students will register for elective courses in their SIO account according to the curriculum for their program with advising from their respective program track chair if needed.
Graduate Student Orientation
Carnegie Mellon and the School of Architecture welcome you to our campus! New graduate students are required to attend Orientation to help them prepare for the upcoming academic year. We strongly encourage students to arrive in Pittsburgh no later than August 12, 2024.
University-Wide New Graduate Student Orientation
2024 dates to be announced
Carnegie Mellon University will host the University New Graduate Student Orientation in August and it is required for all new entering graduate students. Orientation programming and registration as well as other important information for incoming graduate students will be posted to the university’s Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs webpage. Questions can be addressed to grad-ed@cmu.edu.
Architecture New Graduate Student Orientation
2024 dates to be announced
The School of Architecture's Graduate Program Orientation will be scheduled for dates in August 2024. This orientation gives you an opportunity to meet other architecture graduate students, receive an introduction and overview of your program, and learn more about administrative policies and procedures.
International Student Orientation & Mandatory Check-In
August 12, 2024
Students and scholars in F-1 or J-1 status may enter the U.S. no more than 30 days prior to the program start date listed on the I-20 or DS-2019. All new international students and scholars are required to complete International Student Orientation and a Mandatory Immigration Check-In with the Office of International Education (OIE) upon arriving at CMU.*
Graduate Students should plan to arrive at CMU by the start of graduate student orientation, scheduled for August 12, 2024. OIE will provide more specific information about the mandatory welcome and check-in sessions as the fall semester approaches. Students must complete the OIE online Canvas course and "Mandatory Immigration Check-In for New/Return from Leave Students" e-form before attending the OIE Mandatory Immigration Check-in and Orientation Session. Please watch for emails from OIE with more information!
Please refer to the email you received from OIE for important information regarding your arrival in the U.S. Students must complete the OIE online immigration check-in. For more information, visit the OIE webpage about International Student Orientation and Mandatory Immigration Check-in.